If you’ve lived in the South for any amount of time, you’ve probably encountered a plant called kudzu. This plant was originally brought to America from Asia to help with erosion back in the 1930s because it grows extremely fast, up to one foot a day. At first, it looks totally innocent, just a few leafy vines growing along the side of the road. But give it time, and it will take over everything. Trees, power lines, abandoned cars…if something remains still long enough, kudzu will completely cover it. But as frustrating as kudzu is, it teaches us something profound about relationships. Like kudzu, our lives are always growing, connecting, wrapping, and intertwining with other people.

Relationships are either growing healthier, or they’re growing out of control. And here’s the truth Paul shows us in Colossians 3: the quality of your relationships reveals the roots of your discipleship. If your life is rooted in Christ, it will show up most clearly in your relationships.